MEMC17 Welcome from the Executive Chairs

We are very excited to welcome you to the IXth Mediterranean Emergency Medicine Congress (MEMC), jointly organized by the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM), the Global Research on Acute Conditions Team (GREAT), and the Mediterranean Academy of Emergency Medicine (MAEM), to be held in Lisbon, Portugal on 6-10 September 2017.

As board-certified emergency physicians, we have a deep commitment to the global development of our specialty, and to the consistent support of emergency medicine pioneers and leaders around the Mediterranean basin. We endorse the standards of workplace fairness, residency training, and lifelong education in emergency medicine, and the right of all emergency patients to access equitable care based on best practices. We support the efforts of our colleagues in countries where emergency medicine is not yet a recognized specialty to develop an evidence based knowledge and skill set in emergency care. MEMC-GREAT 2017 is an opportunity to share the very best practices from high resource countries with mature systems, countries which have recently succeeded in achieving specialty status for EM, and low resource countries where dedicated professionals have created systems to deliver the highest possible level of care, even in austere environments. We all have so much to learn from each other!

Many of the MEMC-GREAT 2017 plenary and concurrent sessions will cover important aspects of emergency medicine including recognition and treatment of acute cardiologic conditions, critical care, basic and advanced ultrasound, immigrant and refugee health, lessons learned from tactical and military medicine, current trends in trauma resuscitation, updates in toxicology, development of prehospital care systems, and so much more. The major track speakers are leaders in their respective fields and will motivate you to change your practice in ways that will improve patient outcomes and enhance professional satisfaction, making positive changes in our communities. The Journal of Emergency Medicine (JEM) and is sponsoring a poster and oral abstract competition. The 50 abstracts receiving the highest scores as determined by the Abstract Review Committee, will be published. The primary authors of the top three scoring abstracts will each be invited to deliver a five minute oral presentation during the Opening Ceremony.

The joint congress embraces a true multinational collaboration of teaching and learning, based on the belief that every emergency care practitioner has knowledge and experience that will benefit all of us. Our focus is to move away from a uni-centric practice model towards a model of best practices that embraces genuine cultural competency, diversity, and respect for the variety of resource availability that characterizes the true practice of emergency medicine on a global scale. Our curriculum will be impactful to both new and seasoned physicians, residents and medical students; as well as nurses, researchers and scientists, pharmacists, nutritionists, and anyone involved in the delivery of emergency care.

We are delighted to host MEMC-GREAT 2017 in Lisbon, Portugal and invite you to explore all that this historic city and its surrounding areas have to offer. Lisbon is renowned for its celebration of history and culture. World class beaches, a UNESCO Heritage medieval village, castles, fortresses, ancient churches, modern parks and jogging paths, a zoo, an oceanarium, and an amusement park are only a few of the available diversions within the metropolitan area. And the magnificent bodegas where delicious Port wines are produced are only a few hours away. Indeed, Portugal has been voted the best emerging wine region in the world!

So come and join us for a unique and cutting edge, truly diverse and inclusive educational experience in one of the most enchanting and affordable cities in the Mediterranean. Bring your family, and enjoy the best mix of professional and family activities. Our Congress will not be the same without you, so please meet us in Lisbon, and allow us the pleasure of welcoming you personally to what we hope will be the best international conference of the year!